Method of covering articles



Oct. 1, 1935. L. J. BzzoNl 2,015,656

METHOD OF COVERING ARTICLES Filed sept. 22, 1935 Figl.

Patented Oct. l, 1935 UNITED STATES 2,015,656 METHOD oF oovEmNG ARTICLES Lewis J. Bazzoni, Swampscott, Mass., assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., alcorporation of New Jersey Application September 22, 1933, Serial No. 690,604

Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes andis illustrated with reference to a method of making decoratively covered heels.

It is sometimes customary to emboss a design 5 upon a celluloid cover in order to produce a fancy heel or to simulate a leather-covered heel. A celluloid cover is sometimes applied to a wood heel blank by the use of a thick elastic pad, the cover being laid u`pon the pad and being wrapped around a clamped heel blank by hand or by the use of a machine.

Prior to applying the celluloid cover to the heel blank it is customary to bathe the cover in a softening solution .until the cover is in a softened condition, the cover being applied to the heel in such condition and then being allowed to dry in-order that it may acquire its original hardness. When it is desired to impart a design to a cover, it is common practice, after softening the cover, to subject the same to an embossing element, the embossed cover while in a softened condition being applied to the heel. When such a method is practiced the original design impressed upon the cover is distorted at various places due to the cover being stretched as it is applied'to the heel blank. Y

In order to avoid the disadvantages of this old method and to speed up the .manufacture of articles having embossed covers, there is provided, in accordance with the present invention, a method in which a cover of suitable sheet material capable of being softened is treated to render it soft and has an ornamental design formed upon its outside surface during its application to the blank to be covered while the cover is in softened condition. By practicing this method the embossing of the cover and the application of the cover to the blank take place at a single operation, and the design is embossed upon the cover without distortion. In the particular procedure which is described below the blank is a heel blank, and the cover is made of cellulosic material, such as celluloid, which may be softened by treatment with a suitable solvent.

' Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated a particular procedure- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of an elastic pad, a fiexible matrix, a softened heel cover, and a heel blank preparatory to applying the cover to the blank and embossing the same;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the resilient pad, the matrix, and the cover wrapped aroundl Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the coveredA and embossed heel.

The improved method may be performed by hand but is preferably carried out by the use of a machine. When the methodis practiced by hand it is customary to secure a heel blank Ill in position by'suitable clamping members (not shown) which operate against the attaching and top-lift-receiving faces l2 and I4, respectively, of the heel blank. The operator next lays a matrix I6, which consistsV of a flexible piece of cloth of the desired design and cut to the general shape of but larger than the outside face of the heel blank, upon a pad I8 made of sponge rubber or other suitable material. A cover 2l) of cellulosic material, which has been previously softened by any suitable commercial softener, is then placed upon the matrix i6 and the operator wraps the pad i8 around the rear and side faces of the clamped heel blank l0, the edge portions of which have 2Q been covered -with cement, During the wrapping and embossing operation the margins of the pad i3 overlap the breast, the attaching and the toplift-receiving faces 22, i2, and' lll, respectively, of the heel (Fig. 2) in order to inturn the margins of the cover upo-n such faces. Since the margins of the pad i8 are forced around the edges of the heel blank lll, the margins of the cover 20 are inturned upon and are adhesively secured to the breast, the attaching and the top-lift-receiving.

have that design after its application to the blank. Moreover, the stretching of the cover as it is applied to the heel blank cannot be controlled so that the change in design during the covering operation may be compensated for. By practicing the above method not only is an improved finished heel produced but the covering operation is expedited to a considerable extent.

After the cover has been wrapped around the heel, as illustrated in Fig. 2, it is held in engagement. with the heel blank for a few seconds to insure that the cement bond by which the cover is attached to the heel blank will set properly. y

It requires considerable strength to draw the pad i8 together with the matrix i6 and the coverv 20 around the heel blank since the pad is not only pulled around the heel blank with sufcient tension to emboss the design upon the cover but is also pulled around the breast, attaching and toplift-receiving faces 22, I2, and I4, respectively, 0f

the heel. Moreover, the ends of the pad I8 are pulled into close relationship with each other, as shown in Fig. 2, in order to cause the forward margins of the cover 20 tooverlap the lateral breast portions of the heel blank. Accordingly, the heel may be covered by the use of a machine such for example as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,000,128, granted May 7, 1935 on an application led in the name of William P. Devine.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That method of making a. decoratively covered article which comprises providing a cover of suitable sheet material which is capable of being softened and a blank to be covered, softening the cover and simultaneously applying the cover to a surface of the blank and form-ing upon the cover while it is in a softened condition an ornamental design which is different from the design of said surface of the blank.

2. That method of making a decoratively covered article which comprises providing a cover of suitable sheet material which is capable of being softened and a blank of irregular shape to be covered, softening the cover andjsimultaneously ap- .piying the cover to a surface of the blank and imparting to the outside base of the cover while itisin a softened condition an ornamental shape which is different from the shape of said surface of the blank.

3.-'Ihat method of making a decoratively covered article which comprises,` providing a cover of cellulosic material and a blank of irregular shape to be covered, softening the cover, and simultaneously applying the cover to a surface of the blank and forming upon the cover while the same is in a softened condition an ornamental design which is different from the design of said surface of the blank.

4. That method of making a decoratively covered article which comprises, providing a. cover of cellulosic material and a blank of irregular shape to be covered, softening the cover, and applying thecover to a surface of the blank while the cover is in a softened conditionand imparting to the cover while the same is in a softened condition upon the blank an ornamental shape which is different from the shape of said surface of the blank.

5. That method of making a decoratively covered heel which comprises, providing a cover of cellulosic material and a heel blank to be covered, softening the cover, and simultaneously applying the cover to a surface of the blank .and forming upon the cover While the same is in a softened condition an ornamental design which is different from the design of said surface of the blank( l 6. That method of making a decoratively covered heel which comprises, providing a cover of cellulosic material and a heel blank to be covered, softening the cover, and applying the cover to a surface of the. blank while the cover is in a softened condition and imparting to the outside face of the cover while such cover is in a softened condition upon the heel blank an ornamental shape 'which is different from the shape of said surface of the blank.

'7. That method of making a decoratively covered heel which comprises, providing a cover of cellulosic material and a heel blank to be covered, softening the cover, and applying the cover progressively to a surface of the blank while the cover is in a. softened condition and progressively forming upon the cover while the same is in a softened condition upon the heel blank an ornamental design which is different from the design of the said surface of the blank.

8. Thatmethod of making a decoratively covered heel which comprises, providing a cover of cellulosic material and a heel blank to be covered, softening the cover, positioning the softened cover upona flexible matrix, and causing the cover while in a softened condition to be applied to the lblank under pressure of the matrix and at the same time to be embossed by said matrix.

9. That method of making a decoratively covered heel which comprises, providing a cover off softened cover to the heel blank, and forcing the same with considerable pressure against the heel blank to apply the cover securely to the heel blank and imparting an ornamental design to the outside face only of the softened cover during its application to the heel blank.

LEWIS J. BAZZONI. 

